Jurassic World Evolution 2 – Late Cretaceous Pack • Codec Moments

It feels like it’s been a while since we had some new Jurassic World Evolution 2 content, though maybe that’s because the comprehensive Biosyn Expansion that coincided with the release of Jurassic World: Dominion has taken up a large chunk of time. Fear not though, Frontier Developments aren’t leaving fans of the park sim out in the cold, and have just launched the Late Cretaceous pack that brings four new dinosaurs to fill the various enclosures with, as well as putting out a patch with a few new features too. There’s not much in the way of surprises for those that are used to these releases, though that doesn’t mean there isn’t something worth digging up, and it’s always good to have a reason to revisit the base game and find out what’s changed.

With four new creatures that fit across each of the enclosure types, there’s a bit of variety to be added to any existing park… just remember to research and excavate them first like any other fossil. Get that busy work out of the way and access to the Alamosaurus, Barbaridactylus, Australovenator and Styxosaurus will be yours. Firstly, the Alamosaurus is a massive herbivore that demands a large living area and plenty of trees, and is perfect for guests that like them tall. The Australovenator sounds slightly risqué, but is a fast running predator that uses its speed and agility to take down its prey, just don’t put it in with other carnivores or it’ll become their lunch instead. If you’ve a penchant for aviaries then the Barbaridactylus will fit right in as a distinctive flying dinosaur. Lastly, and possibly the most impressive, is the Styxosaurus that compliments any lagoon with its eel-like shape and bioluminescent patterns. All are exceptionally well realised and integrate with any new or existing construction you might have going.

Alongside the Late Cretaceous pack there’s a free update for all owners of the base game that adds a number of new features and enhancements. The big one is the ability to create a lagoon more to your liking by placing objects above and below the waterline. It doesn’t sound much, yet that customisation can make quite a difference to the way the murky environments look. For those that like the chaotic element of dino escapes, flying reptiles can now damage helicopters making it all that much harder to get the park back under control; and if you’re a sucker for playing with the visual aspects of your masterpiece, there is a greater choice in lighting options to tweak. These come alongside quality of life improvements and changes to the way traits are managed in the sandbox – you can now have infinite points to spend. Dig deeper and there are changes to cohabitation rules for species where you can make them all play nice… or not; facia options for buildings; instant construction/destruction; and updates to the photomode to create your own postcards.

When you’re looking to expand the options for building in Jurassic World Evolution 2, the DLCs are usually good for providing that extra level of variation that makes things feel fresh even if you’ve spent many, many, many hours perfecting a habitat. There’s no change to that here with the Late Cretaceous pack, and if you’re happy with the number of creatures you’ve already got then feel free to pass over it. However, the free update is certainly not one to be sniffed at with the subtle changes providing more flexibility and customisation than before. If you do want to dabble in bringing the past to life Frontier Development have nailed the looks and behaviour of these ancient reptiles (as always), and they are great additions to game.

A PS5 review copy of Jurassic World Evolution 2 – Late Cretaceous Pack was provided by Frontier Developments PR team, and is available now on all platforms for around £8.